"A household located in the northern part of London is looking for an remarkable and experienced instructor to guide their smallest child on his first steps to growing into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this advertisement, you might easily skip the phrase "beginning" as simple a turn of phrase.
But, it may be the most important part of this unusual position posting, as it aims to find a mentor for a 12-month-old.
Many of applications have already been sent in since the unnamed family published their request for the £180k-a-year tutor, who must be "someone very special".
During the past few weeks, the post has received attention in the news, with numerous wondering why?
Progressive Approach
A tutoring expert, head and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their hunt, said that despite initial doubt, he viewed the plan "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he said they understood the unusual aspect of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
However, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had postponed until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural influence had already become established".
What precisely did the family refer to by "cultural predisposition"?
It's "everything", the expert responded. "The way you eat, how you speak".
He said the firstborn had absorbed "really subtle, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had assumed their cultural norms. The family explained to him they did not want the same situation to happen again with their younger child.
The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who must speak with RP, to shape the baby from day one.
Natural Absorption
"A great deal of the education at the outset here is rather osmotic," said the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will adopt the English characteristics they aim to cultivate.
Adam noted the tutor had to be somebody who studied at "prestigious academies – the same kinds of schools as the family plan to send their son to".
"The tutor must be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they aren't even aware they're doing, simply by nature," he said.
Money No Object
The family told Adam the successful candidate should preferably also have familiarity of or interest in horse riding, skiing, creative fields and instrumental training so as to shape the child in a broad spectrum of passions.
Additionally though, he stated the family hoped the tutor to sign up the child on a selection of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and learning an musical instrument by the time they are approximately three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and open doors.
"For all the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he notes.
Yet, despite all this instruction in "English culture", could the child pick up so-called cultural leaning from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?
"Absolutely", answered he. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the perspective of, 'we should try and we should start as soon as we can', because the expense of it is irrelevant," he stated.
Impractical
Several in the private teaching field who have those reservations.
Another CEO, chief executive of a tutoring service, who provides personal educators, commented that "the process of becoming bicultural, or in fact, becoming oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not engineered."
Peter explained that he had relocated from China to the UK at the time of seven, and had been educated understanding and practicing dual heritages. He continued to study at the University of Cambridge.
"The notion that one individual can serve as a embodiment of Britishness, a person who can somehow transfer the characteristics of a British gentleman upon a infant child, appears naive and unrealistic," he commented.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from early childhood will not necessarily produce the goal they desire.
"I never had such a figure, and nevertheless I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the experiences they hope for their son."
He continued: "The reality is, cultural identity cannot be forced from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must be internally driven."
Acquiring Englishness
Of course, Britishness is something the expert thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"I believe the reality that the international society regards us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
